The Shotgun/Throwdown (9/22/25): WVU football faceplanted in Lawrence, but other Mountaineer teams keep stacking wins

Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in the comments.

IT’S NOT ALL BAD

Football may have faceplanted in Lawrence, but plenty of other Mountaineer teams are rolling.

No. 13 men’s soccer opened Sun Belt play Friday night with a 2–1 win over James Madison at Dick Dlesk. Pablo Pozos kept his scoring spree alive with his seventh goal of the season, while Marcus Caldeira added a free kick finish and an assist. WVU outshot the Dukes 17–10 and is back at home Tuesday night for a top-15 showdown with No. 11 High Point (7:00PM, ESPN+).

On the court, WVU volleyball swept the Dolphin Volleyball Classic, taking down Florida A&M, Jacksonville, and Jacksonville State to close out non-conference play at a perfect 12–0 — the best start in program history. That’s four straight tournament titles and seven consecutive sweeps as the Mountaineers head into Big 12 play next weekend at Cincinnati.

And over in College Park, WVU tennis cleaned house at the Bedford Cup. Audrey Moutama and Zuzana Kudlackova met in an all-Mountaineer singles final, Julie Bousseau won her bracket, and both doubles teams advanced to the championship before calling it off with another all-WVU matchup.

MOUNTAINEER ROUNDUP

• ESPN’s computers aren’t buying in. The latest Football Power Index drops WVU to No. 72 and projects a 3.8–8.2 finish. The model gives the Mountaineers just a 6.9% shot at reaching six wins, with zeroes across the board for the Big 12 title, CFP, or national championship.

CROOTIN’

• Ross Hodge landed his first commit in the 2026 class as 6-foot-10 center Aliou Dioum of Bella Vista Prep (AZ) pledged to the Mountaineers. A four-star prospect from Senegal, Dioum picked WVU over Syracuse, Illinois, Mississippi State, UNLV, and Wake Forest after visiting Morgantown in August.

MOUNTAINEER PROS

• Kyzir White made his Titans debut Sunday after being elevated from the practice squad. He logged 20 defensive snaps against the Colts and finished with three tackles (two solo).
• Baseball America named JJ Wetherholt the Cardinals’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year after he hit .309 with 16 homers and 23 steals across Double-A and Triple-A.
• Jesse Edwards followed up his double-double debut on Thursday with a near-perfect outing Sunday, pouring in 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting in just 21 minutes as Melbourne United crushed the New Zealand Breakers 114–82. Edwards also added six boards and two blocks..
• Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports that Ryan Bergert’s MRI showed only a mild flexor strain, and the Royals expect him to be ready for spring training.
• John Means wrapped up what’s expected to be his final rehab start Friday at Triple-A Columbus, tossing 5.1 innings with four strikeouts. The lefty threw 84 pitches and could be activated by the Guardians next week as they push for the playoffs.

AROUND THE LEAGUE (AND BEYOND)

• Oklahoma jumped into the top 10 for the first time in two years after knocking off Auburn, sliding in at No. 7. Texas Tech made the biggest Big 12 leap in the latest AP poll, climbing five spots to No. 12 after a convincing win at Utah. Iowa State held steady at No. 14, while TCU (24) and BYU (25) both cracked the rankings after staying unbeaten. Four league teams are now in the AP Top 25.

VIDEOS OF INTEREST

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